UMKY design creates BKD as a bakery that extends the public character of an Ajman park into a commercial interior. The 305-square-metre project responds to intense heat, pedestrian movement and daily bakery operations through an open plan shaped by shade, transparency and hospitality. The studio treats the building as part of the park, allowing guests to experience the bakery alongside the surrounding recreational space.
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The Gemini constellation guides the project’s central concept. UMKY design interprets its associations with movement, lightness and discovery through a “breathing” spatial approach. Large sliding mechanisms open the building toward the park and reduce the separation between indoor seating and the exterior terraces. This system allows the bakery to shift according to climate, activity and visitor flow.
Deep pergola canopies line three sides of the structure. They shade the terraces, limit direct solar gain and help maintain comfortable conditions inside during the day. Their depth creates protected outdoor areas around the bakery and supports extended use of the site despite Ajman’s demanding temperatures.
The studio organized the layout after studying how pedestrians travel through the park. It aligned the main entrance with the central park axis, giving the public a direct route into the bakery. Service functions, staff circulation and back-of-house operations occupy less visible areas, keeping logistical activity away from the primary guest experience.
A central bar gives the interior its main visual and spatial focus. Custom-cast concrete bricks form the structure, while mint-green pigment runs through the material itself. The color creates a direct relationship with the park’s vegetation and gives the masonry a tactile, distinctive surface.
Above the bar and seating areas, the ceiling follows the outline of a pitched roof. This form lowers the perceived scale of the tall interior and introduces a domestic quality that suggests warmth and shelter. The ceiling also conceals the substantial HVAC equipment that supports the bakery’s daily operations.
A glass-enclosed production zone occupies the core of the project. Visitors can observe the baking process while they travel through the seating area. UMKY design integrated the semi-open kitchen into a busy public setting through a ventilation system engineered for the specific operational demands. The system maintains air quality for guests while keeping the production area visible.
The arrangement places baking directly within the customer experience. Glass gives visitors a clear view of the work behind the counter, while the separation protects the comfort and function of both zones. This setup connects the bakery’s products with the process that creates them and keeps production present throughout each visit.
BKD also required the studio to navigate complex urban approvals because the building occupies a sensitive recreational area and functions as a permanent structure. The completed project establishes a long-term presence within the park while respecting its existing circulation and public use.
Project name: BKD
Design: UMKY design
Location: Ajman (UAE)
Sector: Bakery
Square: 305 m² / 3283 ft²
Year: 2026
Photo: Žiga Mihelčič
